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Location:Port Clinton, Ohio
Saturday, July 23, 2011
The Journey Home - Part 1
Well we made it to Firelands Presbyterian Church in Port Clinton, and Pastor Jeanne Gay greeted us with with a smile and 16 beach towels (would have been 18 but we dropped Gabe and Dalia off at O'Hare airport to catch a plane to Boston to meet the rest of their family in Cape Cod). So off to lake Erie we went to swim in our second great lake in one week. Another great Midwest thunderstorm ended our swim part a little early but that was okay because we got back in time to shower and now some wonderful members of the church are cooking a fish fry for us and dinner is just about to be served so I am going to go.
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Hugs hugs and more hugs
I can not believe that today is Friday night and tomorrow morning we will be starting our two day journey back home to Jenkintown. This has been an incredible week and it has been amazing to see God working in the hearts of our students. All of the students knew that they would be coming to Chicago go serve others but they had no idea that their hearts we going to be so broken for the people of Chicago and go so attached to some kids in 5 days but both of those things happened to everyone.
God is doing some amazing work in Chicago and we were truly blessed to be a part of that this week. Tonight we had the opportunity to serve as a whole group at a soup kitchen in the Uptown section of Chicago. Since Ed had been split up in two groups all week it was awesome to be able to serve together on our last afternoon.
We served close to 200 people tonight and one of the really neat things about this ministry is that they serve there guests restaurant style. The men, women, and children are served drinks and dinner and do not have to stand in line and feel like a number but have the opportunity to feel like guests. We were all busy for s solid hour and forty five minutes serving drinks, dinner, and salt, pepper, and sugar. It has been a blessing to watch our students step out of their comfort zone, be venerable, and have to rely on God to help serve his beautiful children.
I know that our students are coming home as s changed person because I have heard their stories and listened to them as they explained how God has been working in their lives. When we return home be sure to ask them how God touched hearts and listen to the stories they have to share (you might want to give them until Monday to really talk before you ask to many questions). I challenge you to discus how you as a family can continue to serve the poor, hungry, homeless, and those in prison so that this week in Chicago doesn't stop when we get home but instead to uses this week as a catalyst for what we are about to do in Jenkintown and the surrounding areas.
Thank you for all of your prayers this week. Here are some random pictures that I have had from this week.
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God is doing some amazing work in Chicago and we were truly blessed to be a part of that this week. Tonight we had the opportunity to serve as a whole group at a soup kitchen in the Uptown section of Chicago. Since Ed had been split up in two groups all week it was awesome to be able to serve together on our last afternoon.
We served close to 200 people tonight and one of the really neat things about this ministry is that they serve there guests restaurant style. The men, women, and children are served drinks and dinner and do not have to stand in line and feel like a number but have the opportunity to feel like guests. We were all busy for s solid hour and forty five minutes serving drinks, dinner, and salt, pepper, and sugar. It has been a blessing to watch our students step out of their comfort zone, be venerable, and have to rely on God to help serve his beautiful children.
I know that our students are coming home as s changed person because I have heard their stories and listened to them as they explained how God has been working in their lives. When we return home be sure to ask them how God touched hearts and listen to the stories they have to share (you might want to give them until Monday to really talk before you ask to many questions). I challenge you to discus how you as a family can continue to serve the poor, hungry, homeless, and those in prison so that this week in Chicago doesn't stop when we get home but instead to uses this week as a catalyst for what we are about to do in Jenkintown and the surrounding areas.
Thank you for all of your prayers this week. Here are some random pictures that I have had from this week.
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Location:Chicago
Friday, July 22, 2011
Jonah Devo - Day 6
Friday, July 22, 2011 – Day 6
*Read Jonah 4:1-4 – Why so Angry?
Chapter 4 opens up with Jonah’s pride creeping back onto the scene, which causes Jonah to become angry. We also find out that real reason that Jonah originally boarded the ship to Tarshish. Jonah wasn’t afraid to go to Nineveh because of what harm might come to him, although that would have been understandable, but rather Jonah was afraid because he knew that his God was the one true God, a loving God, that if he preached to the people of Nineveh they would repent and be forgiven. He knew that the gentiles would receive God’s grace, and his pride was having trouble accepting that fact. Israel was supposed to be a light to the world, but Jonah let his pride take over, which resulted in him seeing the Israelites as better than the rest of the world. God’s decision to be merciful to the Ninevites offended his own pride so much that he would rather die than witness the salvation of the gentile nation.
I can still remember the night, as if it was yesterday, even though it was almost 10 years ago, that I finally understood God’s call in my life and submitted to His will. I had many different emotions running through my body that night and anger was definitely one them. I think that anger gets a bad rap most of the time, and I believe that most people would say that anger is a bad thing.. I am not one of those people. I think that anger is a very healthly emotion and I wish that people would get angry more often that is as long as it is Godly anger and not anger that is sinful and self destructive
RBC Ministries explains the two different types of anger as follows –
Selfish anger is provoked when we believe we've been treated unjustly or unfairly. We want something, we don't get it, we feel deprived, and now someone is going to pay for having treated us this way (James 4:1-4). The goal is revenge. When driven by vengeance, we demand that someone pay now for the injustice we've suffered. We impatiently demand immediate execution of justice according to our specifications, and refuse to allow time for God to work in the hearts of those who have offended us (James 1:19-20). Our anger becomes a caustic acid intended to burn those we feel have burned us unfairly. When offended, we can be ruthless, hard, unreasonable, and devoid of mercy in our response.
Conversely, godly anger is provoked in us when we witness persistent violations of God's standards of justice (Psalm 119:53). There is an appropriate time to be outraged over those who hold God in contempt and mar the beauty of His creation. The goal of godly anger is to warn the person who has breached God's divine law so that once exposed they can have the opportunity to change (Ezekiel 3:18-21). This kind of anger is like iodine, an ointment intended to purge infection and promote healing in the recipient (Proverbs 27:6). It is painful at first, but in the end, it soothes and heals.
Godly anger is motivated both by the love of Christ that works in us to extend His love to others (2 Corinthians 5:14), and by the fear of His coming execution of perfect justice (2 Corinthians 5:11). Godly anger is marked by a confidence in God's longsuffering character (Psalm 86:15; 2 Peter 3:9), knowing that only He is qualified to carry out vengeance equitably. Godly anger refuses to resort to personal acts of revenge now, but is willing to wait for God's wrath to be poured out against evil in His good time (Psalm 73:16-19; Romans 12:19).
Questions:
1. Why is Jonah angry with God?
2. In v. 2 we learn the real reason for why Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh. What, if anything, does this tell us about the heart of Jonah? His motivation?
3. Why does Jonah ask God to kill him?
4. In Chapter 1 Jonah’s disobedience brought him near death. Compare his reaction to God’s saving grace in his own situation vs. his reaction to God’s grace and mercy towards the Ninevites:
5. How would you interpret God’s response in 4:4?
6. Have you ever tried to control God, and then got angry when He did not conform to that image?
7. What is your motivation for being on this mission trip?
Other things to explore…
1) In 4:3, Jonah recites Moses’ revelation of God’s blessed character. Read Exodus 34: 6
2) Read 1Kings 19:4 and compare Elijah’s request to die with Jonah’s request to die.
Take away…
God is God and we are not; God is not bound by our limits, prejudices or misconceptions.
Prayer Starter
As we near the end of the trip, it's likely that you're feeling a bit run down. This is our last day of work. Ask God for the strength to continue to show forth Jesus' love among the people with whom we are working. Ask him for the strength to recognize the things these people can give to YOU! And pray for the people and the neighborhoods with whom and in which we are working. Be sure to leave spaces during your prayer where you listen for God's side of the conversation.
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*Read Jonah 4:1-4 – Why so Angry?
Chapter 4 opens up with Jonah’s pride creeping back onto the scene, which causes Jonah to become angry. We also find out that real reason that Jonah originally boarded the ship to Tarshish. Jonah wasn’t afraid to go to Nineveh because of what harm might come to him, although that would have been understandable, but rather Jonah was afraid because he knew that his God was the one true God, a loving God, that if he preached to the people of Nineveh they would repent and be forgiven. He knew that the gentiles would receive God’s grace, and his pride was having trouble accepting that fact. Israel was supposed to be a light to the world, but Jonah let his pride take over, which resulted in him seeing the Israelites as better than the rest of the world. God’s decision to be merciful to the Ninevites offended his own pride so much that he would rather die than witness the salvation of the gentile nation.
I can still remember the night, as if it was yesterday, even though it was almost 10 years ago, that I finally understood God’s call in my life and submitted to His will. I had many different emotions running through my body that night and anger was definitely one them. I think that anger gets a bad rap most of the time, and I believe that most people would say that anger is a bad thing.. I am not one of those people. I think that anger is a very healthly emotion and I wish that people would get angry more often that is as long as it is Godly anger and not anger that is sinful and self destructive
RBC Ministries explains the two different types of anger as follows –
Selfish anger is provoked when we believe we've been treated unjustly or unfairly. We want something, we don't get it, we feel deprived, and now someone is going to pay for having treated us this way (James 4:1-4). The goal is revenge. When driven by vengeance, we demand that someone pay now for the injustice we've suffered. We impatiently demand immediate execution of justice according to our specifications, and refuse to allow time for God to work in the hearts of those who have offended us (James 1:19-20). Our anger becomes a caustic acid intended to burn those we feel have burned us unfairly. When offended, we can be ruthless, hard, unreasonable, and devoid of mercy in our response.
Conversely, godly anger is provoked in us when we witness persistent violations of God's standards of justice (Psalm 119:53). There is an appropriate time to be outraged over those who hold God in contempt and mar the beauty of His creation. The goal of godly anger is to warn the person who has breached God's divine law so that once exposed they can have the opportunity to change (Ezekiel 3:18-21). This kind of anger is like iodine, an ointment intended to purge infection and promote healing in the recipient (Proverbs 27:6). It is painful at first, but in the end, it soothes and heals.
Godly anger is motivated both by the love of Christ that works in us to extend His love to others (2 Corinthians 5:14), and by the fear of His coming execution of perfect justice (2 Corinthians 5:11). Godly anger is marked by a confidence in God's longsuffering character (Psalm 86:15; 2 Peter 3:9), knowing that only He is qualified to carry out vengeance equitably. Godly anger refuses to resort to personal acts of revenge now, but is willing to wait for God's wrath to be poured out against evil in His good time (Psalm 73:16-19; Romans 12:19).
Questions:
1. Why is Jonah angry with God?
2. In v. 2 we learn the real reason for why Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh. What, if anything, does this tell us about the heart of Jonah? His motivation?
3. Why does Jonah ask God to kill him?
4. In Chapter 1 Jonah’s disobedience brought him near death. Compare his reaction to God’s saving grace in his own situation vs. his reaction to God’s grace and mercy towards the Ninevites:
5. How would you interpret God’s response in 4:4?
6. Have you ever tried to control God, and then got angry when He did not conform to that image?
7. What is your motivation for being on this mission trip?
Other things to explore…
1) In 4:3, Jonah recites Moses’ revelation of God’s blessed character. Read Exodus 34: 6
2) Read 1Kings 19:4 and compare Elijah’s request to die with Jonah’s request to die.
Take away…
God is God and we are not; God is not bound by our limits, prejudices or misconceptions.
Prayer Starter
As we near the end of the trip, it's likely that you're feeling a bit run down. This is our last day of work. Ask God for the strength to continue to show forth Jesus' love among the people with whom we are working. Ask him for the strength to recognize the things these people can give to YOU! And pray for the people and the neighborhoods with whom and in which we are working. Be sure to leave spaces during your prayer where you listen for God's side of the conversation.
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Mmmm... Tacos
Well, we were experiencing a swell day as we traveled down to Lake Michigan and swam about and played frisbee in the lake and then returned for some fantastic showering in the massive football locker room. However, after ruining those efforts by sitting outside in the sweltering heat and then playing games we were a slightly less high-spirited bunch. But we soon found that those robust males within our group that require feeding equal to that of a small horse were not to be disappointed as hundreds of delicious steak tacos were on the menu. But as Kev, Fez, and Glazer were finishing up the last of their tacos before heading into worship a woman jokingly asked all passersby if they wanted more tacos since they were not allowed inside. But after half a tin was thrown away we quickly intervened, hating to see any food wasted - especially delicious food as this. We swooped in and rescued approximately 50 tacos loaded with steak. We then had to hide it under an impromptu sign upstairs in a corner so we could retrieve it later and devour it.
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Location:Chicago
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A Day with the YMCA Kids
Dalia: I got splashed with cold water!
Miles: Wait… we'll get to that. We have to go in order.
Today we went to the YMCA Day Camp again. At first when we went there, we were sort of surprised because they told us just to go to the Y and play with the kids. But the Y staff seemed to be doing a good job at that.
Connor: Oh! We have to include the White Castle and the incredible pains we had in our intestines because of the gas. And how I ran out of toilet paper…
Ned: And I had to rescue him…
Miles: Back to our story. The boys and I sat at the table with the kids and we quickly fell in love with them because they were really cute and just attached to us within a minute. They asked us if they could come home with us.
We played with them and broke up fights. Sometimes they deserved it. But we played Knockout on the basketball court at the park, soccer in the parking lot against the fence, cards and board games under the pavilion…. And of course, every day includes lots of water fights. It starts right away in the morning and goes pretty much all day long. The Y counselors bring it on with water balloons they give to the kids.
We did other things to help out at the Y too. Ned watered flowers. Dalia and Maggie cleaned the girls' locker room.
Dalia: I squeegee-ed!
Nick: And Miles gave something like fifty piggy back rides. All our necks are really sore.
Miles: One kid is an awesome chess player...
Maggie: One girl told me that you can't curse because if you curse, it means you haven't gone to high school and all your teeth are going to fall out.
Miles: We definitely have a crew of kids!
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Miles: Wait… we'll get to that. We have to go in order.
Today we went to the YMCA Day Camp again. At first when we went there, we were sort of surprised because they told us just to go to the Y and play with the kids. But the Y staff seemed to be doing a good job at that.
Connor: Oh! We have to include the White Castle and the incredible pains we had in our intestines because of the gas. And how I ran out of toilet paper…
Ned: And I had to rescue him…
Miles: Back to our story. The boys and I sat at the table with the kids and we quickly fell in love with them because they were really cute and just attached to us within a minute. They asked us if they could come home with us.
We played with them and broke up fights. Sometimes they deserved it. But we played Knockout on the basketball court at the park, soccer in the parking lot against the fence, cards and board games under the pavilion…. And of course, every day includes lots of water fights. It starts right away in the morning and goes pretty much all day long. The Y counselors bring it on with water balloons they give to the kids.
We did other things to help out at the Y too. Ned watered flowers. Dalia and Maggie cleaned the girls' locker room.
Dalia: I squeegee-ed!
Nick: And Miles gave something like fifty piggy back rides. All our necks are really sore.
Miles: One kid is an awesome chess player...
Maggie: One girl told me that you can't curse because if you curse, it means you haven't gone to high school and all your teeth are going to fall out.
Miles: We definitely have a crew of kids!
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Location:Chicago
Jonah Devo - Day 5
Thursday, July 21, 2011 – Day 5
*Read Jonah 3:4-10 – Action Items
In verse four, Jonah begins to go into the city. We know from verse 3 that it would take three days to get through the city, but after only one day of proclaiming God’s message it spread through the whole city, even to the king. He had one simple message, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (v.4). Jonah didn’t have to give a forty minute sermon over and over again throughout Nineveh; too often we over think and analyze the work that God has planned for us. There will be times when His work will look hard, but He will make it easy on us. Jesus said, “…my yoke is easy and my burden is light” - Matt 11:30. It is our responsibility to do God’s work, to preach His word, as He has commanded and whoever has ears to hear will hear and will come to God. When we do the simplest things for God or say the simplest things, as Jonah did, and God provides fruit, then the glory is all His.
In verse 5 through 8, we see Nineveh come to repentance. They repented in sackcloth and ashes, by fasting and by turning away from evil. Sackcloth was made from camel or goat fur and was often black. It often covered the whole body, including the head. Ashes were either put on the head or sat on. There is a lot of symbolism here because you would usually only see these actions when people lost a loved one, however here in Jonah the people were mourning their sin. It was also a common practice to fast during a time of mourning because there were so many legalistic rights they had to abide by. Both the mourning and fasting were demonstrations of their remorse.
The last thing mentioned as part of repentance is the turn from evil. They quit doing what did not honor God. When we are in sin, we must mourn that sin in order to get rid of it, to truly repent. To mourn our sin is to show a hearts desire for repentance. If we are not convinced to the point of mourning that our sin is wrong, then we cannot be fully repentant of it.
In verse 9, we find out that they repented because of the possibility that God might decide not to destroy them. Even the Ninevites recognized that a return to God would bring blessing upon them and deliver them from wrath.
There are two things that we learn about God from this passage. First, when we serve Him, we need to do so in humility and according to His strength. This way, as mentioned before, God gets all the glory, not us. Secondly, there is no sin which keeps us from coming to Christ. We never have committed too much sin, or any sin so heinous that God will reject us. As we sin, we must recognize the error of our ways, mourn our sins and repent of them.
Questions:
1. What did Jonah say to the people of Nineveh? (see Jonah 3:4) And what do you think of the message he gave to them (too long, too short, too harsh?)
2. How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s words? (see Jonah 3:5)
3. What was the King’s reaction to the message Jonah brought? (see Jonah 3:6-9)
4. Was Jonah successful?
5. In what ways has God shown you compassion? Has it ever happened at a time when you were wandering from God?
6. In what ways have you shown repentance?
Other things to explore..
1) Listen to the Unshackled radio program at www.unshackled.org which airs dramatic presentation that tell the stories of people who have repented and changed their life’s direction. The recordings are made in Chicago at Pacific Garden Mission.
2) Write up your own story about God’s work in your life (your testimony).
3) Read Joel 2:12-14. How does this passage compare with Jonah 3:6-9?
Take away...
It is not just our hearing of God’s word that pleases him, but our responding to it; God’s always ready to show mercy and compassion to anyone willing to seek him. If we simply proclaim what we know about God, we may be surprised at how many people will listen.
Prayer Starter
Today we're going to focus on a prayer of praise. Praise God for the people He has brought into your life on this trip. Praise him for the things you are learning. Praise him for the work that he is doing in the city of Chicago through CCM and other ministries. Be SPECIFIC… name names! Then just be still and listen for what God is saying to you today.
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*Read Jonah 3:4-10 – Action Items
In verse four, Jonah begins to go into the city. We know from verse 3 that it would take three days to get through the city, but after only one day of proclaiming God’s message it spread through the whole city, even to the king. He had one simple message, “Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown” (v.4). Jonah didn’t have to give a forty minute sermon over and over again throughout Nineveh; too often we over think and analyze the work that God has planned for us. There will be times when His work will look hard, but He will make it easy on us. Jesus said, “…my yoke is easy and my burden is light” - Matt 11:30. It is our responsibility to do God’s work, to preach His word, as He has commanded and whoever has ears to hear will hear and will come to God. When we do the simplest things for God or say the simplest things, as Jonah did, and God provides fruit, then the glory is all His.
In verse 5 through 8, we see Nineveh come to repentance. They repented in sackcloth and ashes, by fasting and by turning away from evil. Sackcloth was made from camel or goat fur and was often black. It often covered the whole body, including the head. Ashes were either put on the head or sat on. There is a lot of symbolism here because you would usually only see these actions when people lost a loved one, however here in Jonah the people were mourning their sin. It was also a common practice to fast during a time of mourning because there were so many legalistic rights they had to abide by. Both the mourning and fasting were demonstrations of their remorse.
The last thing mentioned as part of repentance is the turn from evil. They quit doing what did not honor God. When we are in sin, we must mourn that sin in order to get rid of it, to truly repent. To mourn our sin is to show a hearts desire for repentance. If we are not convinced to the point of mourning that our sin is wrong, then we cannot be fully repentant of it.
In verse 9, we find out that they repented because of the possibility that God might decide not to destroy them. Even the Ninevites recognized that a return to God would bring blessing upon them and deliver them from wrath.
There are two things that we learn about God from this passage. First, when we serve Him, we need to do so in humility and according to His strength. This way, as mentioned before, God gets all the glory, not us. Secondly, there is no sin which keeps us from coming to Christ. We never have committed too much sin, or any sin so heinous that God will reject us. As we sin, we must recognize the error of our ways, mourn our sins and repent of them.
Questions:
1. What did Jonah say to the people of Nineveh? (see Jonah 3:4) And what do you think of the message he gave to them (too long, too short, too harsh?)
2. How did the people of Nineveh respond to Jonah’s words? (see Jonah 3:5)
3. What was the King’s reaction to the message Jonah brought? (see Jonah 3:6-9)
4. Was Jonah successful?
5. In what ways has God shown you compassion? Has it ever happened at a time when you were wandering from God?
6. In what ways have you shown repentance?
Other things to explore..
1) Listen to the Unshackled radio program at www.unshackled.org which airs dramatic presentation that tell the stories of people who have repented and changed their life’s direction. The recordings are made in Chicago at Pacific Garden Mission.
2) Write up your own story about God’s work in your life (your testimony).
3) Read Joel 2:12-14. How does this passage compare with Jonah 3:6-9?
Take away...
It is not just our hearing of God’s word that pleases him, but our responding to it; God’s always ready to show mercy and compassion to anyone willing to seek him. If we simply proclaim what we know about God, we may be surprised at how many people will listen.
Prayer Starter
Today we're going to focus on a prayer of praise. Praise God for the people He has brought into your life on this trip. Praise him for the things you are learning. Praise him for the work that he is doing in the city of Chicago through CCM and other ministries. Be SPECIFIC… name names! Then just be still and listen for what God is saying to you today.
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Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Jonah Devo - Day 4
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 – Day 4
*Read Jonah 3:1-3 – Serving in Weakness
I know that today’s reading was only three verses but there is still a lot of good material that we can extract from them. Verse1 makes it very clear that there was a waiting period before God called upon Jonah again. It wasn’t as though the moment that Jonah hit dry ground after he was vomited out by the fish he wiped himself off and headed for Nineveh. It may have been that he needed some time for physical healing or simply that God allowed him that time for spiritual renewal. What we do know is that Jonah was called a second time to go to Nineveh.
If you are not careful you can miss something important in verse 2. Up to this point in the story, God has not told Jonah exactly what message to preach. God has told Jonah in 1:2 that he would “cry out against it” and now in verse 2 God says, “…call out against it the message that I tell you.” We live in a world where we have to know exactly what we are going to do, when it is going to happen, what the outcome is going to be and if we don’t have all of those answers well then there is a good chance that the plan won’t happen. Here is the good news about serving God, we don’t have to have a full understanding to be able to serve Him; we just have to be willing.
God can use us more if we serve out of weakness than out of our strength. God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In response Paul wrote, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” - 2 Corinthians 12.9:10. God desires to use us in the areas that we are weak. Why? So that He alone gets the glory.
When I was growing up (and still to a great extent) I had very poor reading comprehension. I would read things over and over and have very little idea what I was reading. That’s one of the reasons I loved cooking so much, I didn’t have to read anything to understand what tastes went together and know when to pull a steak off the grill so it was medium rare. God’s plan for my life was student ministry but my plans were to become a chef and open my own restaurant someday that I would name Joel Christopher’s. When I finally answered God’s call in my life to student ministry that meant I was going to have to rely on Him to give me the strength and ability to do His work. The good news is that God can do great things with our weakness, and I am blessed that God has chosen me to share His word to His people.
Now an area which is considered strength for me is cooking. God has used me in a number of ways to bless people from behind the stove, but in the last few years, God has made it abundantly clear that He will use me elsewhere. I have no choice but to submit to His good and perfect will regardless of my own personal desire.
This is not to say that we should immediately discard any talents that we might have; rather we should be aware of where God desires us to serve. Often that will be in our weakness, but it will always be for His glory. If we find ourselves receiving the glory, we must change our direction.
Questions:
1. What command does Jonah receive here and how does it compare with the command God gave him earlier, in Jonah 1:2?
2. Describe Jonah’s response and how it compares to the one in Jonah 1:3.
3. Do you think Jonah’s task was a desirable one? Why or why not?
4. What requirements, if any, exist for giving someone a second chance?
5. How do you react when you have messed up and are given another chance to do something?
Other things to explore...
1) Ancient Nineveh (across the Tigris River from modern-day Mosul, Iraq) has a fascinating history that can be researched online. It became the capital of Assyria around 700 BC (see 2 Kings 18:17-19:37). Some scholars speculate that the name Nineveh derives from Nina, the name of a Babylonian fish goddess.
2) A great example of someone who got a second chance is Peter. He denied knowing Jesus (John 18:15-18, 25-27). After Jesus was killed and rose from the dead, he and Peter meet again, read about it in John 21.
Take away...
Serving God is not an earned position; despite our mistakes and weaknesses, God still asks us to carry out his work.
Prayer Starter
Prayer isn't always about asking for things. Sometimes it's just telling God something. Are there any things for which you'd like a second chance? Tell God where you've messed up, and ask him for a second chance. In Christ, we are promised that second chance! Now take a few moments and quietly listen for what God is asking you to do with *your* second chance. Close your prayer by thanking God for the second chances that come through Jesus.
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*Read Jonah 3:1-3 – Serving in Weakness
I know that today’s reading was only three verses but there is still a lot of good material that we can extract from them. Verse1 makes it very clear that there was a waiting period before God called upon Jonah again. It wasn’t as though the moment that Jonah hit dry ground after he was vomited out by the fish he wiped himself off and headed for Nineveh. It may have been that he needed some time for physical healing or simply that God allowed him that time for spiritual renewal. What we do know is that Jonah was called a second time to go to Nineveh.
If you are not careful you can miss something important in verse 2. Up to this point in the story, God has not told Jonah exactly what message to preach. God has told Jonah in 1:2 that he would “cry out against it” and now in verse 2 God says, “…call out against it the message that I tell you.” We live in a world where we have to know exactly what we are going to do, when it is going to happen, what the outcome is going to be and if we don’t have all of those answers well then there is a good chance that the plan won’t happen. Here is the good news about serving God, we don’t have to have a full understanding to be able to serve Him; we just have to be willing.
God can use us more if we serve out of weakness than out of our strength. God told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” In response Paul wrote, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” - 2 Corinthians 12.9:10. God desires to use us in the areas that we are weak. Why? So that He alone gets the glory.
When I was growing up (and still to a great extent) I had very poor reading comprehension. I would read things over and over and have very little idea what I was reading. That’s one of the reasons I loved cooking so much, I didn’t have to read anything to understand what tastes went together and know when to pull a steak off the grill so it was medium rare. God’s plan for my life was student ministry but my plans were to become a chef and open my own restaurant someday that I would name Joel Christopher’s. When I finally answered God’s call in my life to student ministry that meant I was going to have to rely on Him to give me the strength and ability to do His work. The good news is that God can do great things with our weakness, and I am blessed that God has chosen me to share His word to His people.
Now an area which is considered strength for me is cooking. God has used me in a number of ways to bless people from behind the stove, but in the last few years, God has made it abundantly clear that He will use me elsewhere. I have no choice but to submit to His good and perfect will regardless of my own personal desire.
This is not to say that we should immediately discard any talents that we might have; rather we should be aware of where God desires us to serve. Often that will be in our weakness, but it will always be for His glory. If we find ourselves receiving the glory, we must change our direction.
Questions:
1. What command does Jonah receive here and how does it compare with the command God gave him earlier, in Jonah 1:2?
2. Describe Jonah’s response and how it compares to the one in Jonah 1:3.
3. Do you think Jonah’s task was a desirable one? Why or why not?
4. What requirements, if any, exist for giving someone a second chance?
5. How do you react when you have messed up and are given another chance to do something?
Other things to explore...
1) Ancient Nineveh (across the Tigris River from modern-day Mosul, Iraq) has a fascinating history that can be researched online. It became the capital of Assyria around 700 BC (see 2 Kings 18:17-19:37). Some scholars speculate that the name Nineveh derives from Nina, the name of a Babylonian fish goddess.
2) A great example of someone who got a second chance is Peter. He denied knowing Jesus (John 18:15-18, 25-27). After Jesus was killed and rose from the dead, he and Peter meet again, read about it in John 21.
Take away...
Serving God is not an earned position; despite our mistakes and weaknesses, God still asks us to carry out his work.
Prayer Starter
Prayer isn't always about asking for things. Sometimes it's just telling God something. Are there any things for which you'd like a second chance? Tell God where you've messed up, and ask him for a second chance. In Christ, we are promised that second chance! Now take a few moments and quietly listen for what God is asking you to do with *your* second chance. Close your prayer by thanking God for the second chances that come through Jesus.
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Location:Chicago
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Jonah Devo - Day 3
Tuesday, July 19, 2011 - Day 3
*Read Jonah 1:17 – 2:10 - Praying in the Deep
Let’s break this prayer down…
• Verse 2 is a general statement about where he was at. Jonah equates the collective experience from the time he was cast into the water to the time he was swallowed by the fish as being in the ‘belly of Sheol.’ Sheol means grave. Jonah was certain he would die.
• Verse 3 begins the sequence of events. Jonah recollects being cast into the sea. We know it was the sailors who threw Jonah into the sea but here Jonah says, “For you [God] cast me into the deep.” Jonah says that because he knew that God was working sovereignly through the sailors so he can say that God cast him into the sea. He was in deep water and the waves were pushing him under.
• Verse 4. Jonah, at this point, feels he is so far from God that he cannot ever return.
• Verse 5. At this point Jonah is sinking in the ocean. The seaweed is wrapped around him.
• Verse 6. Jonah has reached the base of the mountain. He is at the bottom of the ocean. He feels he has sunk as low as he can go in his life at this point.
• Verse 7 is when things really start to change for Jonah. Up until this time Jonah has let his pride build up a wall between himself and God. On top of that Jonah’s rejection of God’s plan was so great that he was brought to the point of death before he was willing to repent. We see this wall in verse 4 when Jonah says, “I have been banished from your sight.” This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t know what Jonah is doing or that He doesn’t care. It couldn’t be any further from the truth; God was watching Jonah very closely. Jonah is saying his banishment has to do with his ability to be connected to God. Jonah could not come to God in prayer until his heart was free from sin. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, The Lord would not have listened” - Ps. 66.18. The same is true for us when we refuse to repent and ask for forgiveness of our sin, we are unable to connect ourselves to God.
When Jonah was about to die, “fainting away” to death (v. 2:7), his heart reflects a true desire of repentance. As a result, he was not only saved physically from the discipline, but he was also restored to fellowship so that his prayers could reach God (v. 2:7). For us as well, we have to recognize our sin and have a true desire to be rid of it and we are restored to fellowship. This does not mean that the sin has stopped yet or that the discipline has stopped, but we are able to pray to God, because our heart is now right.
Questions:
1. Do you think God was punishing (disciplining) Jonah when he had him swallowed by the great fish or was it an act of love (deliverance)?
2. Do you think Jonah got what he deserved?
3. What did Jonah do from inside the fish? (see Jonah 2:1)
4. Describe the emotions expressed in the first part of Jonah’s prayer. (Jonah 2:2-6) What words or images stand out to you?
5. How does Jonah’s perspective change at the end of the prayer?
6. What “worthless idols” do you think Jonah is referring to? (see Jonah 2:8)
7. When and how is Jonah’s rescue completed? What reasons can you think of for why God would rescue Jonah?
Other things to explore...
Read Matthew 12:39-41, How was Jonah’s experience used by Christ?
The prayer of Jonah is rooted in Psalms; many phrases are “borrowed” from passages in that book.
See Psalm 107:17-32 for a poem story similar to the content of Jonah.
Take away...
“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord...” (Jonah 2:7) Let’s not take God for granted and only turn to him when we are in the midst of a tough time. Connect with God in prayer during good and bad times, and you will have a stronger spiritual life.
Prayer Starter
Today's prayer will be a bit different. Read Jonah 2:2-10 as a prayer. Read it out loud if that helps. As you are reading the words aloud, try to think of them as your words in a conversation with God. So you can make this prayer your own, allow images of the people and situations you encountered yesterday - and you expect to encounter today - to flow through your thoughts as you read this prayer. When you are done reading, spend a little time listening for what God is saying to you before you close your prayer.
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*Read Jonah 1:17 – 2:10 - Praying in the Deep
Let’s break this prayer down…
• Verse 2 is a general statement about where he was at. Jonah equates the collective experience from the time he was cast into the water to the time he was swallowed by the fish as being in the ‘belly of Sheol.’ Sheol means grave. Jonah was certain he would die.
• Verse 3 begins the sequence of events. Jonah recollects being cast into the sea. We know it was the sailors who threw Jonah into the sea but here Jonah says, “For you [God] cast me into the deep.” Jonah says that because he knew that God was working sovereignly through the sailors so he can say that God cast him into the sea. He was in deep water and the waves were pushing him under.
• Verse 4. Jonah, at this point, feels he is so far from God that he cannot ever return.
• Verse 5. At this point Jonah is sinking in the ocean. The seaweed is wrapped around him.
• Verse 6. Jonah has reached the base of the mountain. He is at the bottom of the ocean. He feels he has sunk as low as he can go in his life at this point.
• Verse 7 is when things really start to change for Jonah. Up until this time Jonah has let his pride build up a wall between himself and God. On top of that Jonah’s rejection of God’s plan was so great that he was brought to the point of death before he was willing to repent. We see this wall in verse 4 when Jonah says, “I have been banished from your sight.” This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t know what Jonah is doing or that He doesn’t care. It couldn’t be any further from the truth; God was watching Jonah very closely. Jonah is saying his banishment has to do with his ability to be connected to God. Jonah could not come to God in prayer until his heart was free from sin. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, The Lord would not have listened” - Ps. 66.18. The same is true for us when we refuse to repent and ask for forgiveness of our sin, we are unable to connect ourselves to God.
When Jonah was about to die, “fainting away” to death (v. 2:7), his heart reflects a true desire of repentance. As a result, he was not only saved physically from the discipline, but he was also restored to fellowship so that his prayers could reach God (v. 2:7). For us as well, we have to recognize our sin and have a true desire to be rid of it and we are restored to fellowship. This does not mean that the sin has stopped yet or that the discipline has stopped, but we are able to pray to God, because our heart is now right.
Questions:
1. Do you think God was punishing (disciplining) Jonah when he had him swallowed by the great fish or was it an act of love (deliverance)?
2. Do you think Jonah got what he deserved?
3. What did Jonah do from inside the fish? (see Jonah 2:1)
4. Describe the emotions expressed in the first part of Jonah’s prayer. (Jonah 2:2-6) What words or images stand out to you?
5. How does Jonah’s perspective change at the end of the prayer?
6. What “worthless idols” do you think Jonah is referring to? (see Jonah 2:8)
7. When and how is Jonah’s rescue completed? What reasons can you think of for why God would rescue Jonah?
Other things to explore...
Read Matthew 12:39-41, How was Jonah’s experience used by Christ?
The prayer of Jonah is rooted in Psalms; many phrases are “borrowed” from passages in that book.
See Psalm 107:17-32 for a poem story similar to the content of Jonah.
Take away...
“When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord...” (Jonah 2:7) Let’s not take God for granted and only turn to him when we are in the midst of a tough time. Connect with God in prayer during good and bad times, and you will have a stronger spiritual life.
Prayer Starter
Today's prayer will be a bit different. Read Jonah 2:2-10 as a prayer. Read it out loud if that helps. As you are reading the words aloud, try to think of them as your words in a conversation with God. So you can make this prayer your own, allow images of the people and situations you encountered yesterday - and you expect to encounter today - to flow through your thoughts as you read this prayer. When you are done reading, spend a little time listening for what God is saying to you before you close your prayer.
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Location:Chicago
CCO Day 2
Here are will's thoughts on our VBS at CCO today...
Today's CCO experience was much less chaotic than yesterday's. We were able to keep the group, which was slightly smaller than yesterday's, at a decently calm level throughout the day. With this more relaxed mood it was much easier to get the kids to participate in prayer and song which made the day much more enjoyable for everyone. I feel like we're starting to get the hang of this.
Here are some pictures of our day at CCO today -
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Today's CCO experience was much less chaotic than yesterday's. We were able to keep the group, which was slightly smaller than yesterday's, at a decently calm level throughout the day. With this more relaxed mood it was much easier to get the kids to participate in prayer and song which made the day much more enjoyable for everyone. I feel like we're starting to get the hang of this.
Here are some pictures of our day at CCO today -
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Location:Chicago
Whatcha gona do with that Peanut Butter
Monday was an incredible day here in the Windy City. It started out with both groups trying to control chaos at our morning ministry sights. Even with all of the craziness and kids running all over the place everyone was thankful that we had the opportunity to minister to these children and to just love on them. You can be in prayer for all of the kids at the morning YMCA and CCO because we will be working with them all week. Pray that they will be able to be focus, listen, and be respectful.
At about 2:30 we all got our first shower after not being able to shower for right around 60+ hours. As dirty as we felt it was a good reminder to all of us how we take for granted some of the luxuries that we have in life and the ability to shower whenever we want to is definitely one of those luxuries.
Monday night was an incredible night. We were split up into three different groups and sent off with map into different areas in the city. Our objective - to get an understanding of what it might feel like to be w homeless teen on the streets of Chicago. Each group of six (5 students and 1 adult) had 12 dollars for dinner, what an experience it was for our students to have to really think about how to spend money so everyone had a full stomach and didn't go to bed hungry and fast food restaurants were out of the picture because fast food places don't let homeless people in.
Each group came back after 4+ hours of incredible stories of people they meet, homeless people they prayed with, one group was even feed by two veterans who were either homeless or living in poverty but they were so joyful in being able to serve their rice and beans and tortillas to one of our groups. They wanted nothing to do with the 12 dollars we had and were just thankful to be able to serve us from their "table".
I could go on about the stories from Monday night but you will just have to wait until we get home but make sure you ask us about them because I know we will never forget them men and women that we meet.
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At about 2:30 we all got our first shower after not being able to shower for right around 60+ hours. As dirty as we felt it was a good reminder to all of us how we take for granted some of the luxuries that we have in life and the ability to shower whenever we want to is definitely one of those luxuries.
Monday night was an incredible night. We were split up into three different groups and sent off with map into different areas in the city. Our objective - to get an understanding of what it might feel like to be w homeless teen on the streets of Chicago. Each group of six (5 students and 1 adult) had 12 dollars for dinner, what an experience it was for our students to have to really think about how to spend money so everyone had a full stomach and didn't go to bed hungry and fast food restaurants were out of the picture because fast food places don't let homeless people in.
Each group came back after 4+ hours of incredible stories of people they meet, homeless people they prayed with, one group was even feed by two veterans who were either homeless or living in poverty but they were so joyful in being able to serve their rice and beans and tortillas to one of our groups. They wanted nothing to do with the 12 dollars we had and were just thankful to be able to serve us from their "table".
I could go on about the stories from Monday night but you will just have to wait until we get home but make sure you ask us about them because I know we will never forget them men and women that we meet.
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Location:Chicago
Monday, July 18, 2011
Jonah Devo - Day 2
Good morning it is a sunny and hot day here in windy city. I knew Nick liked sports but I didn't know that he liked to sleep with basketballs. Here is what I saw when I woke up 5 minutes ago.
Anyway here is todays devotion.
Monday, July 18, 2011 – Day 2
*Read Jonah 1:7 – 16 – God Desires All
Did you know…
Jonah lived in a polytheistic culture. This means that they believed in many gods. But, they were not polytheistic in the same way that modern Hindus are, for instance. They do not worship many gods. Most of the cultures of this time would worship one god, but recognized many gods as being real. Where you lived, or came from, determined what god you would worship. In their eyes, gods were strictly cultural even though they believed them to have power. The men on the ship were hoping that since their gods did not help them that maybe Jonah’s would. They recognized the power of the one true God, even though they were not in submission to Him.
Casting lots is a common practice of many ancient cultures. No one knows exactly what the practice looked like. It could be sticks or rocks or whatever that is thrown into the air or onto the ground. Casting lots was their way of determining truth. The Israelites understood that God controlled the outcome of the lot (Prov. 16:33). In this case, they wanted to find out who was responsible for the storm.
Back to the story…
I love how descriptive this passage of scripture is because it gives you such a clear picture of the different encounters between Jonah and the other men. This passage starts out with an incriminating series of questions. The men believed so wholly in the lots that they had to find out what Jonah’s story was. When he told them, the results were terrifying to them. Why? The cultures surrounding the Israelites surely knew that they claimed to worship the one true God.
You can almost see the light bulb come on for them. They were able to see now that the one true God had caused this storm that threatened their very lives. And they became “exceedingly afraid” because earlier Jonah had told them he was fleeing from this very same God. At this point they realize that their gods are man-made, and false, and that Jonah’s God is a higher authority.
The main part that I want to talk about from this passage is when Jonah realizes that the only way to save the other men was for him to leave the boat and that meant getting wet because the boat was out to sea. But was that really the only way? Many people see this section as a turning point, when Jonah begins to value others higher than himself. They see it as a change of heart. However, it is most certainly not a change of heart.
Jonah cared about others from the beginning. Jonah’s issue is that he holds his own pride in higher esteem than his very life and at this moment his pride is bursting at the seams. The storm has already begun to open the eyes of the sailors, men who didn’t even believe in the one true God; however it has not caused any change in the heart of Jonah.
Questions:
1. Have you ever been told that Christianity is not for everyone? Do you believe that?
2. What are some things that we/you serve instead of Christ?
3. Has your pride ever affected your relationship with God?
4. What is God’s plan for you? How has He used you in the past?
5. What can we learn about God’s love from the sailors in this passage?
6. What is salvation?
Take away…
God has a plan for His people. What is this plan? It is to draw others to Christ. We all play a different role in the plan, but that is the plan. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God desires that all mankind come to Him to be saved, regardless of their culture or their values. It is our role as followers of Jesus Christ to be leading others to Him, that they too might be saved just as the sailors were.
Prayer Starter
Take just a few moments and talk with God in prayer. You might ask him what His plan is for you today. Be sure to take time to listen for his answer! Also pray for the people you are about to meet today. Ask God to give them soft hearts to see Jesus reflected in you. And ask God to give YOU a soft heart so you can see Jesus reflected in THEM!
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Anyway here is todays devotion.
Monday, July 18, 2011 – Day 2
*Read Jonah 1:7 – 16 – God Desires All
Did you know…
Jonah lived in a polytheistic culture. This means that they believed in many gods. But, they were not polytheistic in the same way that modern Hindus are, for instance. They do not worship many gods. Most of the cultures of this time would worship one god, but recognized many gods as being real. Where you lived, or came from, determined what god you would worship. In their eyes, gods were strictly cultural even though they believed them to have power. The men on the ship were hoping that since their gods did not help them that maybe Jonah’s would. They recognized the power of the one true God, even though they were not in submission to Him.
Casting lots is a common practice of many ancient cultures. No one knows exactly what the practice looked like. It could be sticks or rocks or whatever that is thrown into the air or onto the ground. Casting lots was their way of determining truth. The Israelites understood that God controlled the outcome of the lot (Prov. 16:33). In this case, they wanted to find out who was responsible for the storm.
Back to the story…
I love how descriptive this passage of scripture is because it gives you such a clear picture of the different encounters between Jonah and the other men. This passage starts out with an incriminating series of questions. The men believed so wholly in the lots that they had to find out what Jonah’s story was. When he told them, the results were terrifying to them. Why? The cultures surrounding the Israelites surely knew that they claimed to worship the one true God.
You can almost see the light bulb come on for them. They were able to see now that the one true God had caused this storm that threatened their very lives. And they became “exceedingly afraid” because earlier Jonah had told them he was fleeing from this very same God. At this point they realize that their gods are man-made, and false, and that Jonah’s God is a higher authority.
The main part that I want to talk about from this passage is when Jonah realizes that the only way to save the other men was for him to leave the boat and that meant getting wet because the boat was out to sea. But was that really the only way? Many people see this section as a turning point, when Jonah begins to value others higher than himself. They see it as a change of heart. However, it is most certainly not a change of heart.
Jonah cared about others from the beginning. Jonah’s issue is that he holds his own pride in higher esteem than his very life and at this moment his pride is bursting at the seams. The storm has already begun to open the eyes of the sailors, men who didn’t even believe in the one true God; however it has not caused any change in the heart of Jonah.
Questions:
1. Have you ever been told that Christianity is not for everyone? Do you believe that?
2. What are some things that we/you serve instead of Christ?
3. Has your pride ever affected your relationship with God?
4. What is God’s plan for you? How has He used you in the past?
5. What can we learn about God’s love from the sailors in this passage?
6. What is salvation?
Take away…
God has a plan for His people. What is this plan? It is to draw others to Christ. We all play a different role in the plan, but that is the plan. 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” God desires that all mankind come to Him to be saved, regardless of their culture or their values. It is our role as followers of Jesus Christ to be leading others to Him, that they too might be saved just as the sailors were.
Prayer Starter
Take just a few moments and talk with God in prayer. You might ask him what His plan is for you today. Be sure to take time to listen for his answer! Also pray for the people you are about to meet today. Ask God to give them soft hearts to see Jesus reflected in you. And ask God to give YOU a soft heart so you can see Jesus reflected in THEM!
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Location:N Albany Ave,Chicago,United States
Road trip part 2 - Complete
Well we made it safe to Chicago and as I type this everyone is in bed. Well I think I should actually say on there bed because it is so hot that no one will be going in there sleeping bags or under their covers. This week is looking like it is going to be the hottest week of the summer and that is just fantastic. I am proud of our students because they are not complaining about the heat as well. We are all excited to get to our ministry sights in the morning and a spend the morning playing with kids and having the opportunity to love them just the way that God loves us.
We are also all excited about getting to shower tomorrow afternoon because the church that we stayed at in Canton didn't have showers and we were not able to shower today so let me tell you we are all smelling good.
Tonight we went on a two hour prayer tour around the city and all of the students had their hearts broken for the people of the city especially the kids. So if you could pray along with us people of the city we would be very thankful.
Good night
Joel
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We are also all excited about getting to shower tomorrow afternoon because the church that we stayed at in Canton didn't have showers and we were not able to shower today so let me tell you we are all smelling good.
Tonight we went on a two hour prayer tour around the city and all of the students had their hearts broken for the people of the city especially the kids. So if you could pray along with us people of the city we would be very thankful.
Good night
Joel
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Location:N St Louis Ave,Chicago,United States
Jonah Devo - Day 1
The advisor team put this devo together for the students so I thought that I would share each days devo with you all to do at home.
Sunday, July 17, 2011 – Day 1
*Read Jonah 1:1-6 – Freedom of the Will
We are faced with choices every day of our lives. Some minor. Some major. Here God was calling Jonah to go and minster to the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t want anything to do with Nineveh so he bought himself a ticket and caught the next boat out of town and headed in the opposite direction to Tarshish. Jonah was from Israel and God was calling him to Nineveh, which happened to be a major city in the Assyrian empire, so let’s just say that the Ninevites didn’t really get along with the Israelites. Nineveh was known for their violence and idolatry.
When God calls us to a task, whether it is as specific as Jonah’s or as general as how we are to treat those around us, we have a choice whether to respond to the call or to go against God, which is sin. Wait -sin? Yes, to deliberately (or unintentionally for that matter) go against God’s will is sin. God does not give us an option when it comes to His plan for us. God has great plans for us and we know this from the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Often times we look at God’s calling as an option to consider alongside with our plans. I know this personally all too well. I can remember the first time I heard God call me into student ministry, I was still a senior in high school on a retreat in Ocean Grove, NJ but I was to focused on my plans and my dreams and couldn’t be bothered by Gods call.
My refusal to submit to God led me into a storm, not one with eighteen foot wave swells but one that left me feeling like I was drowning. Any time that you, Jonah, or I refuse to do God’s will we have to be willing to face the consequences. Just as any loving parent disciplines their disobedient child, God will discipline us just the same. Hebrews 12:11 says, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God’s love for us is so strong that even if we do go against His will He will use our sin to make us grow.
Questions:
1. What are some ways that you have exercised your will?
2. Aside from breaking commands, what are some ways that you have rejected God’s will for you?
3. What are some ways that you abide in God’s will?
4. Are there any areas of sin in which you are unrepentant?
Prayer Starter
Spend a few minutes in conversation with God… that is, take time out to pray! To get you started, just tell God how you feel about Him… is it love, doubt, anger? Whatever it is, he'll understand. Then, ask God to give you the wisdom to understand His will for you, and the strength to follow it. Take time to listen to what He is saying to you as you pray
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Sunday, July 17, 2011 – Day 1
*Read Jonah 1:1-6 – Freedom of the Will
We are faced with choices every day of our lives. Some minor. Some major. Here God was calling Jonah to go and minster to the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t want anything to do with Nineveh so he bought himself a ticket and caught the next boat out of town and headed in the opposite direction to Tarshish. Jonah was from Israel and God was calling him to Nineveh, which happened to be a major city in the Assyrian empire, so let’s just say that the Ninevites didn’t really get along with the Israelites. Nineveh was known for their violence and idolatry.
When God calls us to a task, whether it is as specific as Jonah’s or as general as how we are to treat those around us, we have a choice whether to respond to the call or to go against God, which is sin. Wait -sin? Yes, to deliberately (or unintentionally for that matter) go against God’s will is sin. God does not give us an option when it comes to His plan for us. God has great plans for us and we know this from the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11).
Often times we look at God’s calling as an option to consider alongside with our plans. I know this personally all too well. I can remember the first time I heard God call me into student ministry, I was still a senior in high school on a retreat in Ocean Grove, NJ but I was to focused on my plans and my dreams and couldn’t be bothered by Gods call.
My refusal to submit to God led me into a storm, not one with eighteen foot wave swells but one that left me feeling like I was drowning. Any time that you, Jonah, or I refuse to do God’s will we have to be willing to face the consequences. Just as any loving parent disciplines their disobedient child, God will discipline us just the same. Hebrews 12:11 says, “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” God’s love for us is so strong that even if we do go against His will He will use our sin to make us grow.
Questions:
1. What are some ways that you have exercised your will?
2. Aside from breaking commands, what are some ways that you have rejected God’s will for you?
3. What are some ways that you abide in God’s will?
4. Are there any areas of sin in which you are unrepentant?
Prayer Starter
Spend a few minutes in conversation with God… that is, take time out to pray! To get you started, just tell God how you feel about Him… is it love, doubt, anger? Whatever it is, he'll understand. Then, ask God to give you the wisdom to understand His will for you, and the strength to follow it. Take time to listen to what He is saying to you as you pray
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Location:Chicago, IL
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Road Trip Part 1 of 2 - Complete
Well we made it safe to Canton, Ohio. It was a rather uneventful trip, but that is always a good thing when you are traveling across the country. The only hiccup that we had was Curt missing the exit for 80 but he meet up with us when we stopped for gas. We actually made some pretty good time since we only had to stop twice, I was very proud of our students and not asking to go to the bathroom every hour.
We got into Canton right around 4:30 and played some football and frisbee as we waited for the Youth Pastor here to welcome us and show us around the church. We were then surprised with a delicious lasagna dinner. They made us feel right at home.
After dinner a bunch of us headed over to the Pro Football Hall of Fame since it is only 5 miles form the church we are staying at. We would have made it there a little sooner but curt missed a turn again. Since we had a football in the van we had to play a little pick up game on the field right outside. Here are some pictures.
Tomorrow morning are going to go to Worship here at 9:00 and then hit the road for part 2 of our road trip. Thanks for all the prayers.
We got into Canton right around 4:30 and played some football and frisbee as we waited for the Youth Pastor here to welcome us and show us around the church. We were then surprised with a delicious lasagna dinner. They made us feel right at home.
After dinner a bunch of us headed over to the Pro Football Hall of Fame since it is only 5 miles form the church we are staying at. We would have made it there a little sooner but curt missed a turn again. Since we had a football in the van we had to play a little pick up game on the field right outside. Here are some pictures.
Tomorrow morning are going to go to Worship here at 9:00 and then hit the road for part 2 of our road trip. Thanks for all the prayers.
Location:John Knox Presbyterian Church
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